Ok. Planning on purchasing a complete, I repeat, COMPLETE ar. It’ll be my first ar, so at this point I don’t wish to build from pieces and have to tinker to get it ruining the way I want.
I plan to start taking classes/ training courses and maybe in a year or so compete in some form. So that in few years I can work towards becoming an instructor, my goal. This AR is something I’d want to get me through that and keep going.
Ideally I’d like something that’s going to last me 10s of thousands of rounds, Has great customer service and reliability. Can handle rapid mag dumps workout sacrificing accuracy. I have a pretty good budget and have found in my exploration of firearms that not always the most expensive is the best, but sometimes it does seem to have a much better out of the box consistency. In essence you get what you pay for…. So I’ve read and read… So many people scoffing at those who’d pay for a $2k ar… but for me I’d rather pay that and have a complete product I can rely on, then spend $1-1200 and then add a Geissele trigger, magpul this, magpul that…etc then I’m at $15-1900 before I know it. Plus you get manufacture backing with complete purchase.
Which has led to BCM, LWRC, KAC, LaRue…
I know nothing. So I came for guidance I’m of smaller/avg stature, 5’9, and the gf is a super shorty so the less felt recoil the better. Any particular recommendations from the community??? Thank you immensely in advance for advice/guidance!
So, you basically have no experience with the AR FOW? Why not just get two basic Colts and alter them as need be as you learn the platform better?
Besides the great customer service criterion, any of the decent AR manufacturers can easily meet that requirement, if you do proper PM. Beyond that, most of what you said is relatively vague. What is a rapid mag dump? What is sacrificing accuracy? Almost any AR can last tens of thousands of rounds, or can be burned up within a couple thousand, depending on firing schedule. Etc.
The Easy Button is the Colt 6920. It’s a basic configuration AR with front sight base and just needs an Aimpoint on a lower 1/3 mount. There is a laundry list of things Colt gets right and a few things that its contemporaries still need to work on, like springs and gas porting.
If you really want a bullet proof AR, get a Colt 6920, remove the 16" government profile, sell it and get a Colt 14.5" SOCOM barrel, pin the muzzle device to 16" and install that. It’s thicker at the chamber so it will handle heat better. The barrel is is the rifle’s radiator. The SOCOM barrel adds less than 2 oz heavier and there will be a subtle improvement to the handling. I have a Colt set up this way and it shoots and handles great.
Bud’ s Gun shop has Colt 6920’s for $770 and, if you want to do your own furniture, the Colt OEM1 for $664. Pick up one of those and you have a lot of $$$ left for ammo and carbine training courses.
I would go with a Colt 6920-R Trooper, if you want to save some money to be used for optics, ect. They’re available on line for as low as $760 ish. Comes with a 13" Centurion M-Lok rail.
Up from there, I would look at the Colt 6960 CCU. This comes with a light weight mid-length barrel and a 13" Centurion M-Lok rail.
The DDM4V7 is an excellent choice, one that I currently use as my Patrol Rifle while at work.
I’m one of the few on this site who would not recommend a BCM. I got burned by them and attempts to work with their customer service department, knowing it was intended to be a duty weapon, only made it worse.
The KAC SR15 MOD2 is an excellent gun. And if you don’t have issues with the cost, I would buy one in a heart beat. But you could buy a Colt 6960 and a backup 6960 for the cost of an SR15.
I’d go BCM RECCE. Fantastic guns out of the box. I would recommend going with a midlength gas system (not offered in the 6920.) the Mid will have a more pleasant recoil impulse. The gun also comes with great furniture out of the box. Add some Magpul MBUS pro sights and an optic and you’re good to go. Maybe a forward grip of some kind and the BCM rail panels as well…